Gijón and Avilés
The two big cities of the central coast.
The essentials
- Gijón/Xixón is the most populous city in Asturias, with an urban beach, a fishermen's quarter and a lively cider scene.
- Avilés keeps a very well-kept old town and the Niemeyer Centre.
- Nearby are Cabo Peñas, Candás and Luanco, and the Salinas dunes.
- Gijón and Avilés are about 30 km from Oviedo and about 25 km from each other.
Gijón / Xixón
- CimadevillaOld quarter on the Santa Catalina peninsula, with Chillida's Elogio del Horizonte at the top.
- San Lorenzo beachOver a kilometre of urban sand, with a seafront promenade (the muro).
- Campo Valdés bathsRoman remains beside the beach.
- Universidad LaboralA huge 20th-century architectural complex, today a city of culture.
- Atlantic Botanical GardenA garden with species of the Atlantic zone, on the outskirts.
- Cider housesCalle Cabrales and Cimadevilla are classic places to pour a glass.
Avilés
- Old townArcaded streets such as Galiana, the Plaza de España and palaces.
- Niemeyer CentreA cultural complex beside the estuary, with a plaza and a large white dome.
- Fiesta del BolloEaster Monday, with a countryside picnic and bollos preñaos (stuffed rolls).
The coast of Gozón, Carreño and Castrillón
In Gozón you find the Cabo Peñas lighthouse, the northernmost point of the Principality, and the fishing town of Luanco; in Carreño, the harbour of Candás; in Castrillón, Salinas beach, famous for surfing and the dunes of El Espartal.
To fill a day, see the three-day escape or the coast's food and drink.